GIRLTRASH THE BAND

GIRLTRASH:

‍GIRTRASH was an all-girl Midwest punk band started in 1983. GIRLTRASH TWO BLACK MEMBERS LIBBY HODGES (vocals) & sister Doni (guitar). Julie Kerry (songwriter/keyboardist) & Robin Kerry (songwriter/guitarist), who were also siblings. jULIE kERRY WOULD WRITE SONGS WITH one hand and play keyboards with the other. Julie often would blindly ball up and toss trash, scrap paper in the trash without stopping to look up. Libby thought aloud ABOUT jULIE Oone day "Cool GIRL; to shoot stuff in the TRASH without looking." Julie stood up and said "Libby that is it our name "GIRL" "TRASH" "GIRLTRASH."

‍Julie was serious about writing songs and poetry; Libby was always trying to get out of practice, asking, "why can't we just get gigs and not practice?" Julie and Robin did not want to be another punk band that sucked so practice was taken seriously; like it was a real job. Eventually their sense of excellence rubbed off Libby. Julie and Robin could very easily sit and create five to seven complete, quality songs in a row without stopping for a break or breath; they were both natural writers/poets. Julie was also political; once she stopped Libby from getting gas at some gas station; because she said that station supported South Africa, and at the time South Africa practiced Apartheid and had imprisoned Nelson Mandela. Julie was an advocate for abused children, disabled children, homeless people, and for ending racism. Julie and Robin always pushed Libby to be more political and more of an advocate for human rights. Because Libby's parents were very political; she often stayed away from political stuff, but Julie and Robin wanted Libby to know she could be an advocate for human rights without making everyone around her miserable the way her parents did. Julie, Robin, Libby wrote all the songs together. Soungs like "Soul Massacre" were about the human hardship of Apartheid.

GirlTrash was influenced by their personal friends and not just band mates. Friends such as (Tiffany Martens, a California transplant punk; and Hollee McClain a Missouri punk who also liked country music, rap and punk; Kim Reed, who had a hip/hop and R&B flare; and Kenya "Kennie" Brumfield who liked Rock & Roll). GIRLTRASH BAND MATES AND FRIENDS Used to go to a teen/punk club called Animal House in Saint Louis. Julie and Robin had an older sister Kathy who drove GIRLTRASH BAND MATES AND FRIENDS around and was very gracious to THE youngsters. Kathy had a funny sense of humor; she teased Libby about her Mohawk, saying "how can you be so happy when your hair is so nappy." GIRLTRASH friends influenced their music.The song "Resurrection of Soul" had a California punk vibe; the song "Stop and Smell The Roses" had a punk/country vibe; another song "Grandma Tell Me" was very punk and R&B; and GIRLTRASH had song called "Crying Like A Sea" and "Raggedy Ann Dynasty" that had A punk edge; but were very classic rock Sexy like the Runaways.Girltrash jammed, brains stormed & played small intimate parties; but before GIRLTRASH could get more gigs or get signed: Julie Kerry and Robin Kerry were both BRUTALLY raped, murdered, and thrown off the Chain Of Rocks Bridge into the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri. Their cousin Jeanine wrote a book titled "A Rip In Heaven" which deals with her feelings of losing two of her favorite cousins. LIBBY has never gotten over losing her friends and bandmates. Music is something that they did together that made Libby feel close to them, and the rape and murder of Julie Kerry and Robin Kerry certainly changed the entire course of Libby's life. Two of the men that killed GIRLTRASH friends/bandmates JULIE AND ROBIN KERRY were sentenced to death AND EXECUTED. (MARLIN GREY AND ANTONIO RICHARDSON. A THIRD MAN REGINALD CLEMONS IS SERVING LIFE IN PRISON. The fourth man was an underage criminal; because of his young age he was not sentenced to death, but instead served his time in prison, and GOT OUT of prison not too long ago to enjoy the rest of his life. GIRLTRASH music career was cut short by violence.

ALL OF GIRLTRASH SONGS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BOOK EXODUS FROM THE DEN OF DEMONS ALSO KNOWN AS THE TAO OF PUNK ROCK WHICH ALSO INCLUDES AN ANTONARIAN VAMPIRE NOVEL WRITTEN BY VAMPIRE HIGH BISHOP LIBBY HODGES LEAD SINGER OF GIRLTRASH. LIBBY HODGES IS currently working on a song called "Pretty Prison," which describes her time in Georgia and her reluctant journey to liking Southerners. It's a little country, a little R&B, a little sexy rock and roll, and a lot of Punk in true Girltrash fashion. Libby has been working on Pretty Prison for two years at this rate: Libby will get her senior citizen discount card from AARP; by the time she finishes all the New Girltrash songs. ABOUT VAMPIRE HIGH BISHOP LIBBY HODGES: LIBBY HODGES has been a punk since the Summer of 1982, learning about bands such as Dead Kennedys, Plasmatics, and the all Black punk band Pure Hell; that helped her out a lot when dealing with her parents. Libby's parents kept saying Black kids do not listen to this music or dress like that. The punk distinctive dress (leather, jackets, shaved heads, combat boots) was borrowed from Black/Caribbean dock rockers better known as the rude boys of England back in the 1960s, a/k/a the teddy boys or original skinheads. Libby's dad who was an American who played Reggae/Calypso music in St. Louis, MO down on Gas Light Square also borrowed the rude boys dress code. Later on Libby's dad became a Black Muslim but kept the rude boy dress code. Even today in his seventies Libby's dad still wears the combat boots, cuffed jeans and a t-shirt. When Libby adopted the dress for herself her friends always commented, "your dad dresses like a punk but acts like a nerd." In reality Libby was dressing like her dad; and she was too young and uneducated about history and the world to see the connection. GIRLTrash HAS HAD THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OVER THE YEARS: Jill Rossman, lead guitar, Lisa Anzalone-bass, Donalda Hodges-guitar/vocals, Libby Hodges-lead vocals and back up vocals, drummer unknown, Julie Kerry- keyboards/lyrics, Robin Kerry-lyrics, guest vocals, guitar. . Julie Kerry and Robin Kerry were both raped and killed.. After Julie and Robin were killed; Libby Hodges gave up music until 2012. Libby Hodges also writes vampire novels in addition to music.